toutiere (french canadian meat pie) filling/turkey stuffing

I got this recipe from my mother, Alma Fournier Lemieux. Toutieres were traditionally eaten after returning from midnight Mass, when the X-Mas Eve ban on meat was lifted. My aunts and my grandmother each made their version, but I think my Mom's was the best. The Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys were also stuffed with the same mixture.

Preparation

Cook the above ingredients (start with 1 tsp of each spice) in a pot until meat is tender and thoroughly cooked and juices are reduced so there is some liquid, but not too much.

Boil an amount of potatoes equal to the meat mixture and mash them plain  that is, do not use milk or butter or seasoning. Mix the potatoes and the meat mixture using a large measuring cup to assure equal amounts.

Note: Either after the meat is cooked or the stuffing is made you might want to adjust the seasoning  better to start easy. I usually add another 1/4-1/2 tsp of all three seasonings.

Refrigerate the stuffing  it must be cooled well before putting it in the turkey or a pie shell. For the pie, you can use a regular top crust or a lattice top crust

This recipe makes quite a lot a stuffing/filling, so there should be plenty left over to make a toutiere (traditional French meat pie). It freezes well too.

my notes

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Recent Review

This delicious meat pie has been a staple at our Thanksgivings since I was a chid. lt was one of my Grandmother's favorite recipes. We also make it for NewYears. We stuff the turkey with it and make meat pies with the leftovers. It's a meal by itself. Wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it.